Life can be Tough

My dad turned 87 on October 8th. He has had a tough time dealing with Parkinson's, skin cancer and now pulmonary fibrousis. He has been able to get around in the house okay using a cane on and off. I always have told him we would do all we could to let him live at home. We signed up for Hospice support just a few days ago, had hospital bed, walker and wheelchair coming. Then fate raised it's ugly head.  We went to Dad's home and he had fallen in his bedroom and couldn't get up from the floor. It happed that the hospice nurse was there too. He was in too much pain to move so we called  911 for the ambulance to take him to the ER in Toasket. Then it was worst case stenario ... He had broken his hip. He was transported to the Omak Hospital for surgery. It ended up he had a total hip replacement. A huge shock to an already frail body. Today he is tired, weak and groggy. PT has been in to get him up and around, not too successfully, he's eaten a little. I talked with the Dr tonight and the prognosis isn't real hopeful. 

Fishing at Vernita Bridge

 

We packed up the motorhome, hooked up the boat and headed down to Vernita Bridge in south central Washington, it was being called the 'hot spot' for salmon fishing on the Columbia River. We camped in a rocky barren field along with about a hundred or so other fishermen. We got there at around 2:30 and the temperature was in the 90's, so we launched the boat to check out the fishing and to escape the midday heat. The salmon were jumping all over and we checked out a few holes without getting as much as a bite. Now I'm not a fisherman at all, that is Mikes area...I was the boat driver and salmon netter....no pole for me.  We watched the full moon come up while on the river...what a beautiful site to see!

 

The next morning we were on the water by 7am going to Mike's chosen hole...the Hatchery Hole. He fished there for most of the morning getting a few bites and loosing one when the line broke. Finally at around 12:30 he caught his first salmon on a spoon lure he was casting in an effort to try something new. It didn't disappoint. It fought hard and it took about 15 minutes to get it  in by a perfect netting job by me. I was so afraid I was going to knock it off the hook and loose it for him....whew!  It was nice fish! We got back in around 4pm. 

                               

                                                           Selfie....(sorry)
                                               

 

On Thursday morning Jessie drove down to join us, he was there by 6:30 am. The river was steaming as we headed to our hole, a lot more boats on the water too. Mike caught the first salmon, then Jessie  then Mike  then Jessie again. They each caught 2 nice ones! It was a fun day. We all headed back to Cashmere so Becky could go fishing too and I would stay home with Emma & Molly.

 

Of course Pepi and Lucy came too

 

                      

 

                             

 

Friday Mike caught the only and largest salmon (12-15 lbs). They had fun fishing on the river and I had a great time with my  Grands!

 

 

                                                      Molly .... such a sweetie!